UC San Diego Health System specialists use the latest technology and treatment advances based on ongoing research. Within our outpatient setting, every dialysis station has reclining chairs and an individual television. The program provides a full time medical social worker and renal dietition and patients are encouraged to use take advantage of these services.

About Dialysis

Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that helps filter waste products from the blood when the kidneys are not working properly. The two main types of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Hemodialysisuses a man-made membrane (dialyzer) to filter wastes and remove extra fluid from the blood. It is usually done in a hospital or outpatient dialysis center 3 times per week.

Peritonealdialysis uses the lining of the abdomen (peritoneal membrane) and a salt solution (dialysate) to remove wastes and extra fluid from the body. Treatment can be done at home over several sessions each day or for several hours at night.

Patient information

For your convenience, we offer Dialysis Patient Handbooks in both English and Spanish. These guides provide extensive information on what to expect, how to prepare, how procedures are done, how the members of our team work together, and much more.